My Android phone runs much better after I tried these storage hacks
Whether you're struggling to download videos or app updates, there's nothing more frustrating than running out of storage space on your phone.
Android devices can get quickly clogged up with junk files over time, particularly if you send and receive a lot of files via apps like WhatsApp. And, while Android does come with handy tools to manage storage space and get rid of big files, it doesn't always quite do the trick.
READ MORE: Why you should never use your laptop on your lap
With only a few hundred megabytes left to my name, I decided to take action and clear up my phone once and for all. Read on to find out how you can free up space on your Android phone—and even make it run faster.
Closing and delete unused apps
It goes without saying that, if you don't use an app very often and it's taking up loads of space, you should probably just delete it.
Samsung Galaxy S23 we got hands-on with the new Samsung S23 Ultra, 23+ and S23
You can get all the information you need about how much of a resource hog an app is by going to your Android phone's settings. Simply tap the 'Settings' app icon on your home screen then follow these steps:
- Swipe down until you see a menu item called 'Apps' (this may be called something different depending on your smartphone brand)
- You should see a short list entitled 'Recently opened apps' and, at the bottom of this, text that says 'See all 251 apps'. This is what you want to tap.
- Now you'll be able to see all of the apps you have installed on your phone as well as uninstall them or clear their storage or app caches.
You might be shocked at how much storage space some apps are using up. The 'Call of Duty' app, which I never use, had about 3GB of files on storage for no reason—making it an immediate candidate for deletion.
Most Google phones come with tools to help you manage storage space - but sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto/Getty Images)How to delete your Android app storage and cache
If you don't want to delete an app but you feel like it's running slowly, then deleting the store of files it has on your phone might be your best bet. Although app storage is very useful in helping you load files and tasks quicker, it can be a bit pointless if you don't really use the app in question very often.
The good news is you can actually get rid of both of these from your phone without actually uninstalling an app. In my case, I found that the Amazon Shopping app was using over 318MB of data on my device, including 63.93 MB of user data and 38.43 MB of cached files. I don't use the Amazon app all that often, but it does come in handy from time to time, so I decided to delete the app storage. The app now runs much more quickly, although I did have to click the 'Login' button again.
It's worth noting that every time you use an app it stores and caches data, so this is by no means a permanent fix and something you'll probably have to do again in future. There is also a school of thought which argues deleting your app cache actually makes your phone run more slowly.
This is because the cache is there to help your device quickly retrieve important information from an app when it loads, so by deleting it, you're forcing your phone to work harder. Evidence on this is largely anecdotal but I would say that, if an app is malfunctioning or glitching in an unusual way, clearing the app cache is a good way to refresh things and get them working again.
Deleting your app cache can help solve bugs or glitches - even if it doesn't make your phone run any faster (Ciaran Daly)Should you use an Android 'cleaner app' to regain storage space?
So you've deleted your unused apps, cleared unnecessary files from your app storage, and even trimmed back on a few unnecessary videos or photos. But you're still struggling with performance and file space issues.
There are a few more options at your disposal before you start reaching for the 'factory reset' button. Many Android users like to use so-called file cleaner apps to keep their smartphones in top condition. Apps like CCleaner are designed to automatically remove junk files, pause apps that are draining too many resources, and can even be set to regularly clear up your device.
Make sure you only download Android cleaner apps from the official Google Play StoreThese apps undoubtedly work, but there's a few things you need to be careful about. Firstly, they can be a little indiscriminate in the kind of files they delete, so if you give a cleaner app permission to wipe old files from your device, don't be surprised if a few photos or downloads go missing accidentally. To avoid this happening, you need to backup your files regularly, which itself can be a time-consuming job.
Secondly, there's a few potential security risks with using these apps. In order for cleaner apps to work properly, users typically have to give them permission to access all their files, including system files. That could be very risky in the wrong hands, with the app able to access and modify almost all of your data.
Walking tracker one of 12 apps banned by Google as users urged to delete them
That's why you need to be very careful when you download one of these cleaning apps and only ever download verified, reputable apps from the official Google Play Store. As well as CCleaner, there's AVG Cleaner, Norton Clean, and more on the market that can help you reclaim your phone from junk.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
